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    • Artists Matryoshka Dolls

    Note: The last 3 years has made it near impossible for us to acquire any new inventory directly from Russia. We have decided to keep our original description below as a cautionary statement. 

    A wide variety of vintage and contemporary art dolls from various areas of Russia, including Sergiev-Posad, Abramtsevo and Moscow, can be found here. Dolls from the 1990s have the most varied themes, when freedom of expression was given full reign after decades of suppression under Soviet rule. Here you will find exquisite masterpieces by  dolls with fairy tales and children's stories, animal tales, and specialized dolls, including political dolls, Royal Family of Russia with exquisite portraiture, chess dolls, seasonal dolls and just plain unique dolls.  The history of the Russian Matryoshka begins with their first appearance in a Moscow arts and crafts workshop at the end of the 19th century. Japan's template was borrowed and expanded upon and Russian artists have never looked back. 

     

    • Winter Idyll (Зимняя идиллия). Winter scenes and churches are favorite topics of Russian nesting doll artists, and this one is not lacking in either.  The use of gold applique for enhancements date this one to mid-2010s. Also, there appears to be some faint writing on the bottom of the first doll, which seems to have been washed away. Usually, nesting dolls of this calibre are signed and dated. (Oh, well, it is what it is.) Overall an elegant and tastefully painted doll with expressive faces. 5 nest, 5" down to 1¼".

      Winter Idyll Matryoshka Sergiev Posad [Vintage]

      Winter Idyll (Зимняя идиллия). Winter scenes and churches are favorite topics of Russian nesting doll artists, and this one is not lacking in either.  The use of gold applique for enhancements date this one to mid-2010s. Also, there appears to be...
      $55.00
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    • Lavra of Sergiev Posad (Лавра в Сергиевом Посаде). The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (Троице-Сергиева лавра) is the most important and historical Russian monastery and the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodoxy. The monastery is in the town of Sergiev Posad, about 40 miles northeast from Moscow. Its founding in 1337 by St. Sergius of Radonezh is well documented in the contemporary lives of Sergius and his disciples. Famous iconographers and powerful tsars all gained fame and notoriety in this humble lavra. The artist has painted an impressive and positive rendering of the monastery, its gates, cupolas, and immediate surroundings. Bottom of the first doll is painted green to reflect the grassy earth. 7 nest, 6¼" down to 1¼".  Fully lacquered. Signed by the artist and dated 1998.

      Lavra of Sergiev Posad [Vintage]

      Lavra of Sergiev Posad (Лавра в Сергиевом Посаде). The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius (Троице-Сергиева лавра) is the most important and historical Russian monastery and the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodoxy. The monastery is in the town of Sergiev...
      $95.00
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    • Russian Farmhouse (Русская ферма). A stylish and detailed Russian family outfitted with all the trappings of farm life, including barnyard fowl, a traditional hospitality greeting consisting of bread and salt, a krolik (bunny), the proud cat with a bowtie, and the small child at the end. Beautifully painted and lacquered in 1990s by an anonymous artist identified only by their initials and from a St. Petersburg workshop identified as "Матрена". Also, a mysterious number "1" in red is on the bottom of the first doll. Cylindrical shapes. 6 nest, 9¼" down to 2". Note: the final doll seems to have been fitted into the end of this matryoshka at the time of production, due to the difficulties of procuring materials common at the time. The artist probably had access to a 5-nest blank and needed a 6th piece, hence the girl at the end with a base.

      Russian Farmhouse Matryoshka [vintage]

      Russian Farmhouse (Русская ферма).  A stylish and detailed Russian family outfitted with all the trappings of farm life, including barnyard fowl, a traditional hospitality greeting consisting of bread and salt, a krolik (bunny), the proud cat with a...
      $150.00
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    • Extended Russian Farmhouse Family.  A finely painted artistic doll that features three generations of a simple family that lives on a farm in a village. Farm themes have always been popular in matryoshka production as the farm represents an idyllic and genuinely practical state of affairs in Russia, yesterday and today. The rural experience is universal, and while romanticized, it also reveals that which is mostly lost. This enjoyable set, that even manages to sneak a birch limb on the first doll, is from Zagorsk. 10 nest, 8"x 1".

      Extended Russian Farmhouse Family [vintage 10-nest].

      Extended Russian Farmhouse Family.  A finely painted artistic doll that features three generations of a simple family that lives on a farm in a village. Farm themes have always been popular in matryoshka production as the farm represents an idyllic...
      $150.00
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    • SALE
      The Paintings of Victor Borisov-Musatov (Картины Виктора Борисова-Мусатова). A one-of-a-kind art doll that was painted and signed by the artist (O. Shepel) of Rostov on the Don and dated 1993. Each doll is illustrated "in the round" to show each painting completely. All the work was done by hand. Each doll is finished with a shiny coat of lacquer and the bottoms of each doll are painted in different shades of blue.The first doll (shown all four sides) is "Autumn Evening" (1904-05). The second doll is "Spring Tale" (1904-1905), a sketch for a panel. The third doll is "Emerald Necklace" (1903-1904). The rest are as follows: "Slumber Divine" (1904-05), a sketch for a panel; "The Pool" (1902); "Tapestry" (1901) and, finally, "Ghosts" (1903).

      Borisov-Musatov Artworks

      The Paintings of Victor Borisov-Musatov (Картины Виктора Борисова-Мусатова). A one-of-a-kind art doll that was painted and signed by the artist (O. Shepel) of Rostov on the Don and dated 1993. Each doll is illustrated "in the round" to show each painting...
      Was: $250.00
      Now: $195.00
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    • The Works of Gauguin Russian Art Matryoshka

      The Works of Gauguin Russian Art Matryoshka

      The Paintings of Paul Gauguin (Картины Гогена). A one-of-a-kind jewel masterpiece art doll that was painted and signed by the artist (I. Shepel) of Rostov on the Don. Each piece has a copy of a painting by Gauguin and a black border running vertically on...
      $895.00
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    • Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожские казаки). A unique mixed media matryoshka with high relief texture enhancements. The first doll has a raised pipe, forelocks, earring and braid as well as a ladybug on the back. Other dolls all have some texture, including traditional head wear, a distinctive mustache on the second doll, plus silver crosses on all four. The Zaporozhian Cossacks lived downstream from the Dnieper Rapids. They were predominantly Ruthenians, and played an important role in the history of Ukraine. The Cossacks left a profound cultural, political and military legacy on Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Turkey and other states that came in contact with it.

      Zaporozhian Cossacks [vintage]

      Zaporozhian Cossacks (Запорожские казаки). A unique mixed media matryoshka with high relief texture enhancements. The first doll has a raised pipe, forelocks, earring and braid as well as a ladybug on the back. Other dolls all have some texture,...
      $89.00
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    • Family (Семья). Family, household, kin, ancestors, tribes and generations are important cultural milestones and landmarks. Relatives are close to one another (usually) and help each other in times of need (usually). The interdependence of family, including extended family, is of utmost importance. Aunts, uncles, and especially grandparents, play an outsized role in raising children, helping parents, and in many cultures, often live together. Which is why nesting dolls with families are a common theme. This colorful matryoshka from 1993 even has the word "семья" ("family" in Russian) written at the base of the head doll. And what a family it is! Grandfather carries a teapot and bagels, babushka a samovar and bowl, an Orthodox priest with Easter eggs, a blacksmith and a daughter carrying two green sacks. The artist's choice of characters is eclectic. 7" down to 1¾". Signed by the artist.

      Family Matryoshka [vintage]

      Family (Семья). Family, household, kin, ancestors, tribes and generations are important cultural milestones and landmarks. Relatives are close to one another (usually) and help each other in times of need (usually). The interdependence of family,...
      $89.00
      Add to Cart
    • Golden Samovar Matryoshka (Матрешка Золотой самовар).  An early, fully handmade and painted 9-nest matryoshka dated 1990 and signed by the artist V. Lagutina (В. Лагутина). Her signature is in itself unusual, since USSR hadn't collapsed yet (it did at the end of 1991). Many of the vintage Russian matryoshkas from 1987 to 1999 found artists declining to sign their work due to old fears of engaging in "capitalist" endeavors (making a profit) and having a trail linked back to them. This was more pronounced in the bigger cities, where fear of reprisals was hard to shed completely. The number of pieces in the set is also unusual and uncommon. The finished pieces are covered with a soft, smooth lacquer. The floral embellishments are disciplined and the samovar is filled in with "potal" ("поталь"), which is a form of gold foil decoration that imitates gilding. Atop the samovar, and eventually taking over, is a blue and white teapot painted in the Gzhel style. Even the dark handles are painted in. A real attractive set!

      Golden Samovar 9-nest Matryoshka [Vintage]

      Golden Samovar Matryoshka (Матрешка Золотой самовар).  An early, fully handmade and painted 9-nest matryoshka dated 1990 and signed by the artist V. Lagutina (В. Лагутина). Her signature is in itself unusual, since USSR hadn't collapsed yet (it did...
      $95.00
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    • The Tale of the Priest and of his Workman Balda (Сказка о попе и о работнике его Балде) is a fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). The Priest hires Balda on the cheap to collect a fabricated debt from the sea devils. Balda causes the sea to pitch, which forces the leader of the devils, an "old Бес", to come out on land. He agrees to pay the debt if Balda will defeat his grandson at running and weight carrying. Balda tricks the "little Бес", first by getting a hare, whom he proclaims his "younger brother" to run in his stead, and then by "carrying" a horse between his two legs by riding on it. There is also a sub-plot involving the priest's daughter and her attraction to Balda. The story ends when Balda gives the priest three blows to the forehead resulting in the priest losing his mind. The final line is, "You shouldn't have gone rushing off after cheapness. Pushkin wrote the tale in rhyme in 1830, based on a Russian folk tale which Pushkin had found. In the summer of 1831, Pushkin showed his tale to Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), who greatly admired it. The Tale saw its  first publication in 1840 posthumously by Vasily Zhukovsky in 1840 with considerable alterations due to censorship; the Priest character was replaced by a merchant.

      Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda [Pushkin]

      The Tale of the Priest and of his Workman Balda (Сказка о попе и о работнике его Балде) is a fairy tale in verse by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). The Priest hires Balda on the cheap to collect a fabricated debt from the sea devils. Balda causes the sea...
      $125.00
      Add to Cart
    • Silver Church Maidens.  This is a larger version of the classic style of pyrography, painting and potal (gold or silver foil that imitates gilding or silvering). Pyrographically written on the bottom in Russian: "Sergiev Posad, 2001", the artist's name, 7 nest, and  "Made in Russia" (stamped in red).

      Silver Church Maidens, 7-nest [Vintage]

      Silver Church Maidens.  The churches in the center of each piece are abstract images of the monastery at Sergiev Posad. The faces are nicely painted with large black eyelashes and ruby lips. An attractive doll from the golden age of Russian-made...
      $48.00
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